Work in this laboratory will be centered on three projects: (1) purification and characterization of muscle D-lactate dehydrogenases from the garden snail and the abalone; (2) determination of the secondary and tertiary structure of several invertebrate lactate dehydrogenases using fluorescence and CD-ORD spectroscopy, and the effects of reversible dissociation upon the enzymes' conformation; and (3) analysis of the effects of high concentrations of inorganic salts and free amino acids on invertebrate lactate dehydrogenase catalysis (Km's, Vmax) and subunit organization. Efforts will be made to detect the presence of partially dissociated enzyme species under various conditions. Possible physiological consequences of and roles for these conditions will be entertained and tested with the purified enzymes.